The Bloodless Revolution

A Cultural History of Vegetarianism From 1600 to Modern Times

Baker & TaylorPresents a look at how Western Christianity and Eastern philosophy merged to spawn a political movement that had the prohibition of meat at its core.

Norton PubThe Bloodless Revolution is a pioneering history of puritanical revolutionaries, European Hinduphiles, and visionary scientists who embraced radical ideas from the East and conspired to overthrow Western society's voracious hunger for meat. At the heart of this compelling history are the stories of John Zephaniah Holwell, survivor of the Black Hole of Calcutta, and John Stewart and John Oswald, who traveled to India in the eighteenth century, converted to the animal-friendly tenets of Hinduism, and returned to Europe to spread the word. Leading figures of the Enlightenmentamong them Rousseau, Voltaire, and Benjamin Franklingave intellectual backing to the vegetarians, sowing the seeds for everything from Victorian soup kitchens to contemporary animal rights and environmentalism.Spanning across three centuries with reverberations to our current world, The Bloodless Revolution is a stunning debut from a young historian with enormous talent and promise.How Western Christianity and Eastern philosophy merged to spawn a political movement that had the prohibition of meat at its core.

Baker & TaylorA cultural and political history of vegetarianism explains how puritanical revolutionaries, European Hinduphiles, and visionary scientists conspired to overthrow Western society's fierce devotion to the consumption of meat, tracing three centuries of the movement from eighteenth-century converts to Hinduism to present-day environmentalism and the animal rights movement.

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Being vegetarian for many decades now I was fascinated to find out when going without meat first came about and when it evolved into a lifestyle choice. I was a little disappointed as it is not an easy read. Written more in a dry academic style of prose rather than in a way that could capture one's attention and keep you interested. Though I did learn a lot about politics, culture, religion and philosphers from the 14th century though to present day. At times it almost felt like I was reading A history of society rather than one of a food revolution.